THE PANAGBENGA 2018 GRAND FLOAT PARADE

Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan underscores the importance of teamwork among the various sectors and residence of Baguio City for the success of the Panagbenga Festival 2012 during the launching last Monday Flag Ceremony at the City Hall Ground.

City Officials and Baguio Flower Festival Foundation (BFFI) stalwarts led by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan who is also the Chairman of the Foundation unveils the Panagbenga Festival 2012 during the Flag Ceremony at the City Hall Ground, Monday.

Baguio will host the Northern-Central Luzon qualifying leg of the revived "Batang Pinoy" children's national games, with between 3,000 to 4,000 athletes expected to come for the 14-event competitions set Nov. 24-27 in various venues here.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan has created a local technical working group headed by city administrator Carlos Canilao to firmup the hosting offered by Philippine Sports Commission executive director Chito Loyzaga and commissioner Jose Luis Gomez.

One of the biggest sports events to hit the city in years, the qualifying leg is open to in- and out-of-school youth aged 13 to 15 who will represent their respective cities, provinces and towns in Regions 1, 2, 3 and the Cordilleras.

BAGUIO CITY – A Deed of Absolute Sale (DAS) dated September 16 has been signed between the national government and SM Investments Corporation over a 31, 688 sq. m. lot where SM-Baguio now stands despite overlapping city and private interests.

The information was conveyed by one SM Mall manager Marc Janssen Pe to City Building and Architecture Office (CBAO) chief Oscar Flores in a letter dated October 15 purportedly for securing a building permit.

It could be remembered the City Council committee on lands in 2008 was tasked to investigate how SM acquired the property despite adverse claims.

BAGUIO CITY – Barangays should adopt and implement their own comprehensive solid waste management system, Vice Mayor Daniel Farinas and Councilor Peter Fianza urged in a proposed resolution last week.

The aldermen said that "barangays should realize that they can change the system (of being dependent on the waste management policies directed by the city) and for the better."

"With their own management system giving true meaning to reduction at source and resource recovery, the Barangays will be able to generate income while instilling discipline on the basis of the principle, 'the more you throw, the more you pay,'" they said.

BAGUIO CITY – the City government has honoured the child friendliest barangays in the city in simple ceremonies last November 10.

Topping the list to get the title 'Most Child Friendly Barangay' is Upper Rock Quarry barangay headed by Punong Barangay Luis Badecao Jr. who brought home forty thousand in cash prizes and a plaque of recognition.

Close behind placing second is City Camp Proper Barangay headed by PB Aurora Abellera who also received thirty thousand cash and a plaque.

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan during the Traffic and Transport Management Committee (TTMC) meeting last week pointed out the need for discipline of motorists, pedestrians and the public as to the enforcement of traffic regulations in the city.

The committee with the mayor as chairman, with Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) head David Lacdan, and Transport Management Group (TMG) head James Logan, OIC City Planning Office Engr. Evelyn Cayat, transport group head Perfecto Itliong, Jr., Council Transport Committee head Nicasio Aliping, Jr., and other concerned entities met to resolve issues on off-street parking and rationalization of jeepney trunklines in the city.

The move for jeepney rationalization in the city shall deal with entry and exit points of specific routes, staging and loading areas, and exact number of units for loading and staging. Accordingly, this would also show the exact number of running vehicles on the road and those on rest days, and the total number of PUJ units; to complement the carrying capacity of the city's roads. This, according to Itliong, shall also drastically cut the number of running PUJs all over the city, to Three Hundred Sixteen (316).

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week has approved the council commendation for Baguio Boy and film director Ferdinand John Longman Balanag, for his works in arts and culture and participation in community work.

In the resolution, it was stated that Balanag won the River Pursuit Award, as Best First Full Feature Documentary; and River Amulet Award, as Best Director South Asian Filmmaker Category, both in the Silent River Film Festival held in Irvine, California; and the Golden Ace Award, as Best Documentary in the 2010 Las Vegas Film Festival.

"It is appropriate to give recognition to the accomplishments of people who made outstanding performance in their respective fields bringing honor to the city," members of the council collectively stated.

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan has proposed an executive budget of P1,146,957,000 for 2012.

The proposed budget is higher by five percent or P54,862,000 from last year's financial plan of P1,092,095,000.

The mayor earlier said they opted for a conservative increase in next year's budget in anticipation of reduction in the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share of the city which he said is bound to affect the programming of funds for the city's development projects.

Local students of shotokan or traditional karate will be treated to a world-class seminar to be conducted by former world champion Julian Chees, an Igorot fifth dan blackbelt who now heads over 50 gyms in southern Germany.

Chees, perhaps the only non-German by birth to have joined the German national karate team, is arriving home next week for the seminar-for-a-cause on Dec. 3 at the La Trinidad municipal hall in Benguet. The training will be open to all belts – from white to black, with all fees going to a support fund for indigent patients in the Cordillera.

"This will be world-class training, given the credentials of Sensei (Teacher) Julian," assured Sensei Hermie Pelingen who, the other year, was designated by Shihan (Master) Kunio Sasaki as head of the Philippine headquarters of the Japan Karate Association.

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will pursue the privatization of waste collection but will not lay off the 98 city employees currently serving in the solid waste division, Mayor Mauricio Domogan announced on Wednesday.

The mayor said the city realized the advantages of allowing a private company to undertake the collection based on the on-going experiment that allowed Pro Tech Machinery Corporation (Pro Tech) to undertake the direct collection of wastes from the barangays.

The experiment which ran for one month last October was extended by the mayor until January 15 after helping improve the waste collection efficiency.

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan this week has reiterated his call for a total ban of pyrotechnic products sale and use in the city.

Domogan believes firecrackers most especially those sold illegally have been major causes of loss of lives and limbs and damage to properties.

'City Ordinance No. 53 which regulates the sale of firecrackers and pyrotechnics in the city needs to be amended', Domogan said citing the lack of provisions in the ordinance which will give power to law enforcers to confiscate this items bought outside the city.

BAGUIO CITY – the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) leads the drug abuse prevention and control month celebrations citywide which was launched Wednesday (Nov. 9) at the Sangunian Panglungsod Session Hall.

Celebrated every November, this years theme "Global Action for Healthy Communities without Drugs" gathered CADAC members namely the Baguio City Police office(BCPO), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DEP-ED), Department of Justice (DOJ), Non-Government Organizations and members of the media for a short briefing on its plans and programs to address the drug menace in the city.

Cadac Action Officer Vice-Mayor Daniel Farinas has announced the calendar of events for the Drug prevention Month starts with an orientation and workshop for the Barkadahan Kontra Droga Movement (BKDM) members and Life Skills Training slated November 11 to 13 under the DEP-ED.

BAGUIO CITY –Again, the rhythmic Panagbenga hymn composed by Dean Macario Fronda of SLU shall be heard as Baguio Flower Festival (BFF) 2012 is launched during the city hall flag-raising ceremonies this Monday, Nov. 14.

Expected to be simple yet colorful, the launching ceremonies for the 17th staging of the Panagbenga festival shall have the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) band render the Pambansang Awit. This will be done after the parade of colors; the Philippine flag, the Baguio banner, and the sunflower-laden Panagbenga flag.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan shall declare the festival open, as Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) officer and Baguio Country Club General Manager Anthony de Leon and Freddie Alquiroz unveils the flower festival logo and theme.